The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-11-10
THEY ARE STILLLOYAL.
A Republican Prevarioation Hip
ped in the Bud.
Phe Macon Demonstration Distorted
The People OF the South Grossly
Misrepresented-The Stars and
Stripes Float. Freely.

Tennessee, was present AZ IIlo Iouil!oi
of fex-confederates at Macon, Ca, when
Jefferson Davis attended, ana stoOO
within a few feet of him during the
scenes of the review of which the nor
Them Republican press have had SO
much to say. Mr.. Clifford located In
Noshyille at the close Of tile war ana
has been a member Of one of the largest
WhoIesale lir,us in the city, McAlllsters,
Clifford 81 Co. At present ne is general
agent for Tennessee and southern Ken
t1cky of several large manufacturing
concerns, No citizen is more mghIy
respected. Mr. Clifford is pronounced
Republican and an ex-unl0n Soldler.
He is a member of GeOrgh II. Thomas
post No. /. G. A. r. He has Just re-
turned from Georgia, and in an
interview yesterday afternoon he
Haid: II have no desire to pa
rade nv name in print nor seek to be
otlicjOus. | trust that those who Kno"
me do not regard me as sensatlon
seeker or maker, but feel it my duty
as an American citizen, to
PROTEST AGAINST THE WRONG
which is being done the people OF the
south. and more particularly OF Geor-
Qia. in the publications which are being
made by leading journals of my party
in regard to the conduct of eX-Confed-
crates at the Macon reunion and the
conduct of Mr.. Davis. Every man VINO
knows me knows that l was a union
soldier and firm Republican in poll
Gcs. 1t is true that the alleged Incl"
dents which are made the basis OF this
assault nv the northern and eastern
press occurred in Georgia, but the as
sault has widened until it is sought to
reflect upon the loyalty of the whole
south. was in Macon nearly a week,
from Friday night to Saturday morn
ING of the next week. | was there on
business, but met old friends among
the ex-confederates. | never was so
royally entertained in my life. They
knew was union veteran, but that
made no difference. Some OF the boys
who used to wear the gray asked rue
why did not wear my Grand Army
badge, saying they would like to
ZEE OUR BADGE ALONGSIDE THEIRS.
A pressing invitation was extended to
me and other union soldiers to drop
in line with the ex-cOnfederates
and march side by side with them,
/ have never in my life seen CITY
30 generally and handsomely decorated
as Macon was. There were few con
federate flags tluttering, but these were
principally in front OF saloons, and un-
Gerneath them were placard stating the
galoon was confederate headquarters"
the device evidently being a sharp
dodge by the salOOukeeper to attract
custom. I saw few confederate flags
on private buildings, but | wish to say
that did not see a single confederate
flag on a house which was not sur
rounded by scores of the national flags.
The national cOlOrs were flying i'll all
directions. | never saw them so hand
eomelv and numerOusly displayed be-
fore in my life. The occasion was a
reunion of eX-confederateS to greet
their old president before he died, ana l
was not surprised to find these con1ed-
crate emblems, but l say, as UNION
soldier,
JEALOUS OF THE CAUSE FOUGHT FOR,
that those emblems were there, | could
plainly see, merely as tender tribute
to the past, and the magnificent dec0ra-
tons with the national coloTs, the thou
sands of national flags and the, whole
conduct of the people evinced loyalty
to the union which no man could posi-
bly, avoid recognizing. m
II was standing within ten feet
of Mr.. Davis on the front porch
of Colonel JOhnsOn's residence when
the meeting between him ana
the confederate veterans about
which so much misrepresentation has
been made occurred. | saw the char
brought out and the old man take his
seat in it. His wife and daughters
were about him. Mr.. Davis was very
in6rm. one could see at glance; he
was very much excited and so weak
that his family and friends feared the
effect of the trying ordeal on him.
When the head of the column entered
the ward and advancing to the railing
of the porch begged to shake hands
with him his wife and daughters took
hold of his arms and
BEGGED HIM TO KEEP HIS SEAT,
reminding him of his feeble condition.
They were evidently alarmed about
him and viewed his excitement with
nndisguised trepidation. Whlle tthey
were fmploring him to be calm and re,
main where he was, the flag was pushed
forward to the railing. Mrs. Davis
leaned forward and plucking a shred
from it's torn and battered folds tefl
back in her chair and, putting her
hands to her face, began to weep.
The scene was such that no man could
have resisted its pathos. The Old man
who had presided over a lost cause,
tottering on the verge OF the grave,
for the last time, he knew, was
in the presence of those who had
once followed him and were now bid
ding him an earthly farewell. Not one
eve in that vast assemblage was dry.
Men wept, yes, but their tears were not
disloyalty to the union, but forced from
them by the sadness of the scene. I'm
ion soldiers who were there wept and
are not ashamed of their emotion. 1t
was in this excitement that the flag was
nushed forward to Mr.. Davis. Rising
with an effort, he convulsively snatched
its folds and pressed them to his lips
and then fell back in his chair exhaust
cd. Then arose
CRIES FOR GOVERNOR GORDON.
He stepped to the front and delivered a
speech which was as loyal to the union
as any John Sherman eyermade. When
he referred to the perfect union of the
sections today under one flag, the cheer
ing was louder and more spontaneous
nv far even than that which greeted the
flag. No man could have looked upon
that assemblage and heard their shouts
and honestly entertain the taintest idea
that these people are disloyal to the
union. The flag was not torn 10 pieces
hv men eager to preserve relics of the
emblem which Jefferson Davis had
kissed, as the Republican press charge.
II was quietly borne away and not Q
shred was taken from it except that by